Cannúa Lodge

Cannúa stands on a mountainside near Marinilla in eastern Antioquia, its large windows looking over the San Nicolás valley, with forest all around; the lodge says three quarters of its land is set aside as a forest reserve. It was built from compressed earth bricks formed and sun-baked on site from the estate's own soil, which kept around 1,000 lorry loads of materials and heavy machinery off the mountain, and the walls store the day's warmth and release it at night, so the buildings need almost no heating or cooling. There are 18 places to stay: 10 rooms and eight free-standing cabañas, in a modern, loft-like design with rustic materials. The restaurant cooks modern Colombian food, much of it from the lodge's permaculture and organic gardens, and there is a bar, a spa, massages, yoga and a library. The MICHELIN inspector calls it the kind of place that is worth waiting for, and the lodge arranges birding, hikes and coffee and chocolate tastings. Medellín's José María Córdova airport is about half an hour to 40 minutes away, and the lodge runs an airport shuttle.